U18PEAE054-HEAT TRANSFER

Unit II : CONVECTIVE HEAT TRANSFER

ABINICKS RAJA G
Assistant Professor
Department of Aeronautical Engineering
BIHER
What is Convection?
Convection is the process of heat transfer by the bulk movement of molecules
within fluids such as gases and liquids. The initial heat transfer between the
object and the fluid takes place through conduction, but the bulk heat transfer
happens due to the motion of the fluid.
• Convection is the process of heat transfer in fluids by the actual motion of
matter.
• It happens in liquids and gases.
• It may be natural or forced.
• It involves a bulk transfer of portions of the fluid.
How is Heat Transferred through Convection?
When a fluid is heated from below, thermal expansion takes place. The lower layers of the
fluid, which are hotter, become less dense. We know that colder fluid is denser. Due
to buoyancy the less dense, hotter part of the fluid rises up. And the colder, denser fluid
replaces it. This process is repeated when this part also gets heated and rises up to be
replaced by the colder upper layer. This is how the heat is transferred through convection.
Types of Convection
• There are two types of convection, and they are:
• Natural convection
• Forced convection
Natural convection: When convection takes place due to buoyant force as there is a
difference in densities caused by the difference in temperatures it is known as natural
convection.
• Examples of natural convection are oceanic winds.
Forced convection: When external sources such as fans and pumps are used for creating
induced convection, it is known as forced convection.
• Examples of forced convection are using water heaters or geysers for instant heating of
water and using a fan on a hot summer day.
Newton’s law of cooling
Newton's law of cooling states that the rate of heat loss of a body is
directly proportional to the difference in the temperatures between the body and
its surroundings. The constant of proportionality as heat transfer coefficient (h).
Q = h A dt
Where
Q – Heat Transfer rate (W)
h – Convective heat transfer coefficient (W/m2 K)
dt – Temperature difference
Reynolds number

At large Re, the inertia forces, which are proportional to the density and the
velocity of the fluid, are large relative to the viscous forces; thus the viscous
forces cannot prevent the random and rapid fluctuations of the fluid.
The Reynolds number at which the flow becomes turbulent is called the critical
Reynolds number.
• For flat plate the critical Re is experimentally determined to be approximately
Re critical = 5*105
• For smooth pipe: Re < 2000 – Laminar flow
Re > 4000 – Turbulent flow
2000<Re < 4000 – Transitional flow
Prandtl Number (Pr)
It is the ratio of kinematic viscosity to thermal diffusivity

Kinematic viscosity indicates the impulse transport through molecular friction

whereas thermal diffusivity indicates the heat energy transport by conduction
process.
Prandtl number provides a measure of the relative effectiveness of the momentum
and energy transport by diffusion.
Prandtl number is a connecting link between the velocity field and temperature
field, and its value strongly influences relative growth of velocity and thermal
boundary layers.
Nusselt number(NU)
IT is the ratio of heat flow rate by convection process under a unit temperature
gradient to the heat flow rate by conduction process under a unit temperature
gradient through a stationary thickness of l meters. Thus

Nusselt number = hL/k

The Nusselt number is a convenient measure of the convective heat transfer

coefficient. For a given value of the Nusselt number, the convective heat
transfer coefficient is directly proportional to thermal conductivity of the fluid
and inversely proportional to the significant length parameter.
The velocity boundary layer
Consider the flow over a flat plate the velocity here in front of the leading edge
of the plate is uniform. Due to no slip condition to be satisfied at the surface of
the plate, the velocity of the fluid is reduced to zero relative to the surface. This
results in the retardation of the fluid particles in the adjoining fluid layers until
at a distance y = δ from the surface (called boundary layer thickness) this effect
becomes negligible. The deceleration of the fluid particle in the boundary layer
is associated with shear stress.
laminar flow-The flow in boundary layer starts as smooth and streamlined
Turbulent flow-Initially the boundary layer development is laminar for flow over
a flat plate depending upon the flow field and fluid properties, at some critical
distance from the leading edge small disturbance in the flow begin to get
amplified, a transition process takes place and the flow becomes turbulent in the
turbulent boundary layer is highly irregular with the fluid moving to and from in
all directions.
Transition region-The transition occurs from laminar to turbulent flow over some
region.
The velocity profile laminar region - approximately parabolic turbulent flow-
becomes flatter .
Turbulent region:
1. laminar sub layer- viscous effects are dominant
2. buffer layer - both laminar and turbulent effects exist.
3. turbulent layer.
The Thermal boundary layer
A thermal boundary layer will develop if the surface temperature and free stream
temperature are different. Consider a flat plate whose surface temperature is Tw .
At the leading edge the temperature profile is uniform with T=T∞ . The fluid
particles coming into contact with the surface exchange thermal energy with those
in the neighboring layers and the thermal gradient is set up. With increasing
distance, y from the surface, the fluid approaches the free stream temperature T∞.
The effects of heat transfer penetrate further into the free stream resulting in the
growth of thermal boundary layer thickness which is defined as the value of y for
which
Problem 3.1 Air at 200C is flowing along heated flat plate at 1340C at a velocity of 3 m/s.
The plate is 2 m long and 1.5 m wide. Calculate the thickness of the hydrodynamic
boundary layer and skin friction coefficient at 40 cm from the leading of the plate and also
calculate the local heat transfer coefficient at x = 40 cm from the leading edge of the plate.
Problem 3.2 Air at a pressure of 8 kN/m2 and a temperature at 2500C is flows over a flat
plate 0.3 m wide and 1 m long at a velocity of 8 m/s. If the plate is to be maintained at a
temperature of 780C estimate the rate of heat to be removed continuously from the plate.
Problem 3.3 An air stream at a 00C is flowing along a heated plate at 900C at a speed of 75
m/s. The plate is 45 cm long and 60 cm wide. Assuming the transition of boundary layer
takes place at Re = 5*105 calculate the average values of friction coefficient and heat
transfer coefficient for the full length of the plate. Hence calculate the rate of energy
dissipation from the plate.
Problem 3.4 An aeroplane flies with a speed of 450 km/h at a height where the
surrounding air has a temperature of 10C and pressure of 65 cm of Hg. The
aeroplane wing idealised as a flat plate 6 m long, 1.2 m wide is maintained at
190C. If the flow is made parallel to the 1.2 m width calculate i) Heat loss from
the wing ii) Drag force on the wing
Problem 3.5 Engine oil at 80°C flows over a flat surface at 40°C for cooling
purpose, the flow velocity being 2 m/s. Determine at a distance of 0.4 m from the
leading edge the hydrodynamic and thermal boundary layer thickness. Also
determine the local and average values of friction and convection coefficients.
Problem 3.6 Air at 20°C flows over a flat plate having a uniform heat flux of 800
W/m2.The flow velocity is 4m/s and the length of the plate is 1.2 m. Determine the
value of heat transfer coefficient and also the temperature of the plate as the air
leaves the plate.
Problem 3.7 Air at 200C is flowing over a flat plate which is 200 mm wide and
500 mm long. The plate is maintained at 1000C. Find the heat loss per hour
from the plate if the air is flowing parallel t0 500 mm side with 2 m/s velocity.
What will be the effect on heat transfer if the flow is parallel to 200 mm side.
Problem 3.8 Air at 200C and at a pressure of 1 bar is flowing over a flat plate at a
velocity of 3 m/s. if the plate is 280 mm wide and at 560C, calculate the following
quantities at x = 280 mm, i) Boundary layer thickness ii) Local friction coefficient
iii) Average friction coefficient iv) Shearing stress due to friction v) Thickness of
the Thermal boundary layer vi) local and average convective heat transfer
coefficient vii) Rate of heat transfer by convection viii) Total drag force on the
plate
20+60
The properties of air at the bulk mean temperature Tf= =380C, ρ = 1.1354
2
kg/m3; k = 0.02732 W/m0C; Cp = 1005 J/kgK; υ = 16.768*10-6m2/s; Pr = 0.7
T ρ μ υ α Pr Cp k
Problem 3.9 Assuming that a man can be represented by a cylinder 30 cm in
diameter and 1.7 m high with the surface temperature of 300C, Calculate the heat
he would lose while standing in a 36 km/h wind at 100C.
Problem 3.10 Air stream at 270C is moving at 0.3 m/s across a 100 W electric
bulb at 1270C. If the bulb is approximated by a 60 mm diameter sphere, estimate
the heat transfer rate and percentage of power lost due to convection.
Problem 3.12 Water at a bulk mean temperature of 40°C flows through a tube of
0.05 m inner diameter with a velocity of 0.025 m/s. The tube is 2 m long and its
surface is at a constant temperature of 60°C. Determine the heat transfer and the
mean temperature rise during the flow. Assume hydrodynamic boundary layer
already developed.
Free Convection
When a surface is maintained in still fluid at a temperature higher or lower than
that of the fluid, a layer of fluid adjacent to the surface gets heated or cooled. A
density difference is created between this layer and the still fluid surrounding it.
The density difference introduces a buoyant force causing flow of fluid near the
surface. Heat transfer under such conditions is known as free or natural
convection. Thus Free or natural convection is the process of heat transfer which
occurs due to movement of the fluid particles by density changes associated with
temperature differential in a fluid.
i) The cooling of transmission lines, electric transformers and rectifiers.
ii) The heating of rooms by use of radiators
iii) The heat transfer from hot pipes and ovens surrounded by cooler air.
Characteristic Parameters in Free Convection
It has been observed that during heat transfer from a heated surface to the surrounding fluid,
the fluid adjacent to the surface gets heated, this results in thermal expansion of the fluid and
reduction in its density(Compared to the fluid away from the surface). Subsequently a
buoyancy force acts on the fluid causing it to flow up the surface, and in the neighborhood
of the plate, hydrodynamic and thermal boundary layers are set up. Since here the flow
velocity is developed due to difference of temperature, the two boundary layers are the same
order irrespective of prandtl number.
A property that comes into play in free or natural convection is the coefficient of thermal
expansion of the fluid defined by

Since in free convection heat transfer coefficients are low and Reynolds number is not an
independent parameter, a new dimensionless grouping plays the major role (in free
convection) which incorporates the coefficient of thermal expansion. This dimensionless
grouping is called the Grashoff number
Free convection boundary layer over a heated plate
Figure shows a free convection boundary layer formed on a flat vertical plate when it is
heated. Here, the velocity profile is different from that of forced convection boundary
layer. At the surface /wall the velocity is zero. It increases to some maximum value and
then decrease to zero again at the edge of the boundary since the free stream is at rest.
Initially the boundary layer is laminar in character and at some distance from the
bottom edge, it becomes turbulent. This onset of turbulence depends on the fluid
properties and the temperature difference.
Problem 3.21 A vertical cylinder 1.5 m high and 180 mm in diameter is
maintained at 1000C in an atmosphere environment of 200C. Calculate
heat loss by free convection from the surface of the cylinder.
1000C+200C
The bulk mean temperature (Tb) = = 600C
2
The Properties of air at 600C are
ρ = 1.06 kg/m3, υ= 18.97*10-6 m2/s, Cp = 1.004 kJ/kgC, k = 0.1042 kJ/mhC.
Thermal Conductivity k = 0.1042*(1000/3600) = 0.02894 W/mC
Coefficient of thermal expansion β = (1/Tf) = (1/60+273) = 0.003 K-1
Grashoff Number Gr = L3 g β(Tw-T∞)/ν2
Gr = 2.208 *1010
Problem 3.22 A 350 mm long glass plate is hung vertically in the air at 240C
while its temperature is maintained at 800C. Calculate the boundary layer
thickness at the trailing edge of the plate. If a similar plate is place in a wind
tunnel and air is blown over it at a velocity of 5 m/s, find the boundary layer
thickness at its trailing edge. Also determine the average heat transfer
coefficient for natural and forced convection
800C+240C
The bulk mean temperature (Tb) = = 520C
2
The Properties of air at 520C are
ρ = 1.06 kg/m3, υ= 18.41*10-6 m2/s, Pr = 0.7, k = 28.15*10-3 W/mC.
Coefficient of thermal expansion β = (1/Tf) = (1/52+273) = 3.07*10-3 K-1